QUILT INDEX RECORD
18-14-7
Description:
Of the five wholecloth quilts by Gasperik, this is the only one made for a full-size bed. The wear on it indicates that it was heavily used, probably by Gasperik herself, on her own bed. A transfer pattern with a center medallion quiltING layout such as McCall Kaumagraph Transfer Pattern #1811 may have been the design source for Gasperik's quilting in this and possibly another wholecloth quilt.
Essay:
There may be other, as yet unidentified, McCall patterns which can explain ALL of the Gasperik wholecloth quilts. McCall was a source Gasperik regularly consulted. Her spectacular Indiana Wreath quilts (#011, #032, #043 and #063) were based on McCall Quilt Pattern #524. Her Tree of Life Quilts (#031, #044 and #065) used a McCall crewelwork pattern. And her Grandmother's Fan (#051) may also have been a McCall pattern. A Susan Salser memory: "My sister Karen remembers seeing this quilt as an everyday quilt on grandma's bed at the house on Cottage Grove. My mom brought me this one at the same time (and with the same apologies) that she brought me Double Trellis. I was pretty dismayed, wondering what she was giving my sisters, but she also gave me 7 of grandma's quilt books because I was showing signs of taking up quilting myself . . . so all is forgiven."
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Mary Gasperik Legacy Project
Who documented this quilt?
Mary Gasperik Private Collection
Gasperik Legacy Project Number:
042
This is a:
Finished quilt
Quilt's title:
Wholecloth Quilt
Owner's name for quilt:
Rayon Wholecloth Quilt (Susan)
How wide is the quilt?
74 inches
How long is the quilt?
91 inches
Shape of edge:
Scalloped
Shape of corners:
Rounded
What color is the quilt?
Pink
Overall color scheme:
One color/monochromatic
Quilt's condition:
Fair/worn
Damage:
Distortion or shrinkage; Uneven batting
Notes on condition, damage, or repairs:
The wear on it indicates it was heavily used.
Time period:
1930-1949
Who estimated the quilt's date?
Merikay Waldvogel
Describe the quilt's layout:
Wholecloth
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Rayon
Fabric types used to make the quilt top:
Satin
Fabric styles used in the quilt top:
Solid/plain
Materials used to make the back:
Satin/Sateen
What color is the back of the quilt?
Pink
Number of pieces of fabric in the quilt back:
2
Width of pieces on the back:
37", 37"
Describe the back:
Same fabric used throughout; Solid/plain
Materials used in the quilt binding:
Other
Fabric structure of the binding:
Satin
What is the width of the binding (measure on the top only)?
less than a half inch
What kind of filling is used in the quilt?
Cotton
How thick is the quilt?
Thin (Less than 3/16
How are the layers held together?
Hand quilting
Color of thread used in the quilting:
white
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:
8
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 2:
8
Width between quilting lines:
1" (most dense) 4" (least dense), unusually wide for Gasperik.
Can you see any knots on the front or back of the quilt?
no
Quilting designs used, decorative motifs:
Feathering; Wreaths
Quilting designs used, background fills:
Parallel lines
Quilt top made by:
Gasperik, Mary
Quilted by:
Gasperik, Mary
Where the quilt was made, city:
Chicago
Where the quilt was made, county:
Cook County
Where the quilt was made, state:
Illinois (IL)
Where the quilt was made, country:
United States
How was this quilt acquired?
Gift
Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:
Elsie brought this to Susan around 1968-69, at the same time she gave Susan 1933 Double Trellis (#041). When she gave them to Susan she said she thought they should be preserved, even though she said Gasperik herself had asked Elsie to discard them, and even though they are very inferior examples of Gasperik's work.
Why was the quilt made?
Home decoration
The quilt was made to be used for:
Bedding, special occasion
Was the quilt used for something other than what it is used for now?
It is thought that Gasperik used this quilt on her own bed, perhaps as an everyday bed covering.
Quilt is presently used as:
Keepsake/memento
Describe present uses of the quilt:
Mary's grandchildren regard her quilts as a unique collection to be preserved and appreciated.
Where did the maker get their materials?
Purchased new
Where did the maker find their pattern?
Commercial/Published source: Pattern
Where did the quiltmaker find the pattern for the quilting design on the quilt?
Commercial pattern
What is the commercial name of the quilting design used for this quilt?
Possibly McCall Kaumagraph Transfer Pattern #1811
Publications (including web sites) where this quilt or maker was featured:
Merikay Waldvogel and Barbara Brackman. Patchwork Souvenirs of the 1933 Chicago World's Fair (Nashville, TN: Rutledge Hill Press, 1993)102-103. Merikay Waldvogel "One American Dream Comes True" Quilters Newsletter Magazine, March 2008, 46-49.
Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:
Envelope Cover: McCall Kaumagraph Transfer Pattern #1811 (Collection of Susan Salser).
Ownership of this quilt is:
Private
Quilt owner's name:
Susan Krueger Salser
Quilt owner's country:
United States
Person filling out this form is:
Quilt owner; Relative of quiltmaker; Author/researcher
If you are a relative of the quiltmaker, how are you related? The quiltmaker is my:
Grandmother
Describe the relationship to the quilt's maker:
Grand-daughter Susan Salser began this research effort in 1991, after she and her two sisters divided up the quilts which belonged to their mother (Elsie Gasperik Krueger) who died in 1988. Her ongoing research has been fruitful and interesting.
Quiltmaker's maiden name:
Mihalovits, Maria
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Quiltmaker's birth date:
01/25/1888
Quiltmaker's birthplace, country:
Hungary
Quiltmaker's marriage date(s):
11/18/1906
Quiltmaker's date of death:
05/25/1969
Quiltmaker's ethnic background/tribal affiliation:
Hungarian
Quiltmaker's educational background:
Elementary School
In which kind of environment did the quiltmaker live?
Rural
Quiltmaker's city:
Chicago
Quiltmaker's county:
Cook
Quiltmaker's state:
Illinois (IL)
Quiltmaker's country:
United States
Quiltmaker's father's name:
Mihalovits, Istvan
Quiltmaker's father's birthplace:
Hungary
Quiltmaker's father's ethnic/tribal background:
Hungarian
Quiltmaker's mother's name:
Mihalovits, Vidoszava
Quiltmaker's mother's birthplace:
Hungary
Quiltmaker's mother's ethnic/tribal background:
Hungarian
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and /or partner's/partners' name(s):
Gasperik, Stephen
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' ethnic/tribal background:
Hungarian
Quiltmaker's spouse's/spouses' and/or partner's/partners' occupation:
Milk Dealer/Grocery Store Owner/Butcher
Number of children:
3
How many of the quiltmaker's children were girls?
1 (Elsie 1909-1988)
How many of the quiltmaker's children were boys?
2 (Elmer and Stephen)
How did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?
From guild or club member; Self-Taught
When did the quiltmaker learn to quilt?
Age 40-49
Why does the quiltmaker quilt?
Pleasure; Other
Other notes on how the quiltmaker learned, and how and why they quilt:
Mary Gasperik made quilts because it was her life passion and greatest talent. As opportunities arose, she entered contests and exhibited them publicly. She also made special quilts for her family.
Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group? Name of the group?
Tuley Park Quilt Club and Detroit News Quilt Club
Does/did the quiltmaker belong to a group?
Chicago, IL and Detroit, MI
What are the main activities of the group?
Chicago group met to quilt and held periodic quilt shows; Detroit group held national exhibits and contests.
Estimated number of quilts made by this quiltmaker:
more than 50
Does/did the quiltmaker sell quilts?
no
Does/did the quiltmaker teach quilting?
no
Who photographed this quilt?
Don Gonzalez
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
Copyright holder:
Hank Finn
Details
Cite this Quilt
Gasperik, Mar. Wholecloth Quilt. 1930-1949. From Mary Gasperik Legacy Project, Mary Gasperik Private Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=18-14-7. Accessed: 04/27/24
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Gallery
Gasperik 09: Wholecloth Quilts
Waldvogel, Merikay
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Ephemera
Design for Quilt
McCall
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Gasperik, Mary Quiltmaker
Mary Gasperik Legacy Project
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1940s
Wholecloth Quilt ... Gasperik, Mary
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1937-1938
Wholecloth Baby Q... Gasperik, Mary
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1937
Wholecloth Baby Q... Gasperik, Mary
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1949-before
Wholecloth Baby Q... Gasperik, Mary